Ski for snow vehicle

ABSTRACT

A snowmobile ski having an elongated tubular section bent into U- or O-shape with an end portion bent upwardly to form a gripping loop, and a support plate fixedly mounted on the elongated tubular section so that the elongated tubular section constitutes on hard snow or ice an exclusive sliding surface of the snowmobile ski.

United States Patent [191 Merenheimo et al.

[ 1 Jan. 15, 1974 SKI FOR SNOW VEHICLE [75] Inventors: Markku Merenheimo, Oulu; Mauno Ruuska, Muhos, both of Finland [73] Assignee: Valmet 0y, Helsinki, Finland [22] Filed: Apr. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 242,187

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan.26,l972 7 Finland; ..201 72 [52] U.S. Cl. 280/28 [51] Int. Cl B62h 17/02 [58] Field of Search 280/12 R, 16, 28,

280/ll.l3 M, 12 B, l8, l9; 180/5 R [56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1972 Vik 280/28 2,242,l56 5/l94l Wallace 280/l l.l3 M

Primary Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney-Richards & Geier 5 7] ABSTRACT A snowmobile ski having an elongated tubular section bent into U- or O-shape with an end portion bent upwardly to form a gripping loop, and a support plate fixedly mounted on the elongated tubular section so that the elongated tubular section constitutes on hard snow or ice an exclusive sliding surface of the snowmobile ski.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SKI FOR SNOW VEHICLE The present invention concerns a ski for a vehicle travelling on snow, in particular the steering ski of a motor sleigh.

Prior art includes a number of different ski designs which have been applied in such uses. Most commonly employed is a ski made of sheet metal by pressing or bending. Some skis are welded to form box-type constructions. The Finnish Pat. application No. 3122/70 (V. Dunder) discloses a box-type ski having on the edges of its bottom U-shaped or V-shaped ridges.

The drawback of skis made of sheet material is their fairly high weight compared to the rigidity that is achieved. The rigidity has been increased by adding various bends, but the edges of the sheet-like ski remain susceptible to bending, and a dented edge of the ski causes considerable increase of its sliding resistance. It is frequent practice to reinforce the front part of a ski made of sheet material by means of a separate raised rib longitudinal to the ski. The box-type ski structure is expensive, owing to the more exacting manufacturing process. v

The aim of the present invention is to provide a simple and light ski and which has low manufacturing costs, but which is rigid all the same, so that the above drawbacks are avoided.

The ski according to the invention is' characterized in that the ski is composed of a body part giving it requisite rigidity and which consists of profiled material, most appropriately tubing, which will be located in the marginal parts of the ski and has been bent to a substantially elongated U-, or V-shape, and of a supporting sheet or plate having a shape corresponding to that of the body part and affixed to the body part.

The invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiment examples shown in the figures of the attached drawing, to which embodiments the invention is not confined in any way however.

FIG. 1 shows the body part of the ski, separately by itself.

FIG. 2 shows, correspondingly, the supporting plate by itself.

FIG. 3 is an assembly drawing of the ski.

The body part 1 consists of profiled material bent into an elongated U-, 0- or V-shape, which profiled material may have various different cross sections. Circular tubing has been found to constitute a profile appropriate for the purpose. The body part 1 lends the ski requisite rigidity with regard to stresses in various directions.

To the body part 1 the supporting plate 2 has been affixed by the aid of fixing elements 8, most appropriately on top of the body part 1, in which instance the body part may be utilized to render the steering more efficient in that the profile of the body part 1 forms shoulders on the bottom of the ski, which counteract sidewise slipping of the ski. When travelling on hard snow or on ice, the profile of the body part then constitutes the exclusive sliding surface. Since only comparatively minor longitudinal rigidity of the supporting plate 2 is required, this plate may be made, e.g., of a plastic sheet. In a ski according to the invention the shape of its edges is permanently retained, because the rigid body part 1 will be located in the marginal part of the ski, where the ski is subject to the greatest stresses.

When the body part 1 is made such as to close on itself and to have a shape like a figure O, the rear extensions of the body part are also connected by a section of the profiled material, which has been indicated with In in FIGS. 1 and 3. It is then possible to give both ends of the ski the shape of a leading end, whereby it becomes possible to back such a ski.

If the supporting plate 2 is made to be shorter than the body part 1, a handle 3 by which the ski may be gripped is simply formed at its leading end (FIG. 3). Correspondingly, in the instance of an O-shaped body a gripping handle 3a is obtained on the rear end of the ski (FIG. 3).

The ski is attached to the vehicle by means of attachment lugs 5 mounted at the approximate centre of the body part 1, said lugs having holes 6 for this purpose. Cut-outs 4 have been made on both edges of the supporting plate 2 to admit the attachment lugs 5. The attachment lugs 5 extend at the bottom of the ski to a level lower than that of the body part 1, thus forming skates 7, which counteract sidewise slipping of the ski when travelling over hard snow or ice. The leading edge of the skates 7 is most appropriately rounded.

We claim:

1. Steering ski of a motor sleigh, comprising a body part consisting of an elongated tubular section bent into U- O- or V-shape and located in the marginal part of the steering ski, said body part imparting requisite rigidity to the steering ski; a supporting plate, which is plane-like and shorter than the body part, whereby at the leading end of the steering ski a gripping handle is formed by the tubular section of the body part, said supporting plate being affixed upon the body part so that the tubular section constitutes on hard snow and ice the exclusive sliding surface of the steering ski and on soft snow it constitutes projections of the sliding surface of the steering ski counteracting sidewise slipping of the steering ski. I

2. Ski of a snow vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that on the edges in the central part of the supporting plate (2) cut-outs (4) have been made for the attachment lugs (5) of the ski affixed to the body part (1).

3. Ski of a snow vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the attachment lugs (5) extend on the bottom of the ski to a level lower than that of the body part (1), forming skates (7), which counteract sidewise slipping of the ski on hard snow and/or ice.

4. Steering ski according to claim 1, wherein said tubular section is O -shaped and is bent upwardly at the trailing end of the steering ski and wherein the supportingplate is shorter than the body part at the trailing end of the steering ski, whereby another gripping handle is fonned at the trailing end of the steering ski. 

1. Steering ski of a motor sleigh, comprising a body part consisting of an elongated tubular section bent into U- , O- or V-shape and located in the marginal part of the steering ski, said body part imparting requisite rigidity to the steering ski; a supporting plate, which is plane-like and shorter than the body part, whereby at the leading end of the steering ski a gripping handle is formed by the tubular section of the body part, said supporting plate being affixed upon the body part so that the tubular section constitutes on hard snow and ice the exclusive sliding surface of the steering ski and on soft snow it constitutes projections of the sliding surface of the steering ski counteracting sidewise slipping of the steering ski.
 2. Ski of a snow vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that on the edges in the central part of the supporting plate (2) cut-outs (4) have been made for the attachment lugs (5) of the ski affixed to the body part (1).
 3. Ski of a snow vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the attachment lugs (5) extend on the bottom of the ski to a level lower than that of the body part (1), forming skates (7), which counteract sidewise slipping of the ski on hard snow and/or ice.
 4. Steering ski according to claim 1, wherein said tubular section is O-shaped and is bent upwardly at the trailing end of the steering ski and wherein the supporting plate is shorter than the body part at the trailing end of the steering ski, whereby another gripping handle is formed at the trailing end of the steering ski. 